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I was enticed to watch your Video - wanting to know how YOU experienced Norway and the various Ports of call. Unfortunately, the most part of the Video was about the Ship!! This may be interesting for anybody who has not been on a Ship (or this particular Ship?) before, but I wanted to really get your impressions of the Cruise and it's stops.
@@alfredwinklmayr9392 i understand, the ports are in the second part of the video. I have another video about Norway cruises that might be more helpful
Just returned from 8 day Norwegian Fjords cruise on Sky Princess. It was my first cruise ever and I can't wait to do it again. Norway was absolutely breathtaking!
The best one is the 16 day Princess cruise in June each year, from Southampton round trip. It goes right to the top of the country. In 2025 it is on the Emerald Princess on June 17. Good luck.
@@chriswilliams6568 we were on this cruise in June 16, 2023, well almost anyways, my mom broke her leg in the airport. I couldn't wait to see the evening sun up in the Artic. For sure want to book this one again! Was looking at it for 2025.
@@myswell1234 Hi from Vancouver, we were booked on the Caribbean Princess this past June 14, 2024, but had to cancel due to my hip pain, I need a replacement. We lost a lot of money as it was past final payment date, and insurance does not pay out on pre-existing conditions. This was the 4 th year we had to cancel, but other years we cancelled before final $$$ so got our deposit back. All due to Covid or family commitments. So have booked the Emerald Princess for 17 June 2025, but I hear that Norway may not allow the larger ships up their coast after next year. We will see. If you are on Shipmate app. We can chat later if we go on same sailing. Thx. Where are you residing?
What a wonderful "love letter" about Rotterdam and the ports of Norway! I appreciate your positive attitude, the comprehensiveness of this video, the pace of delivery, and of course, the beauty of Norway!
You stepped up your game with this video. Overall great tour of the ship with some very nicely done video work and narration. Your food shots were some of the best I've seen on a travel video - good job. You captured the essence of Norway's beauty and certainly have encouraged people to consider a visit. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Did this cruise with different ports in May. Fantastic time. Norway is gorgeous and great people. Loved the ship, food and entertainment. If you like Alaska you’ll love Norway.
I went to Norway 25 years ago on a genealogy trip. My mother is half Norwegian, so we researched her lineage and found the church in her ancestral home of Aurland. It had the gravestones of my ancestors in the churchyard! I want to go back with my adult children and show them their Viking roots! I agree, it is a quiet and serene place.
So glad you enjoyed my Norway. You did give the best advise needed, plan for all kinds of weather, you can have all seasons in one day, and wear shoes that are good for walking. Thanks for all the videoes, makes the wait for my first cruise in a while a lot easier. Love from Norway 🇳🇴
Princess also do the 7 day, but I would prefer the 16 day on Princess, out of Southampton each June, it goes all the way up to the Arctic Circle to the top. Good luck
I just returned from 12 day Celebrity Apex cruise to Norway. We cruised and visited 2 ports in the Artic Circle. I highly recommend it. Weather was cloudy to sunny, and we dodged rain luckily. We felt like we were living in a postcard.
@serenaverner1506 - Love the Apex! Did 'Best of Scandinavia' last year, and was hoping to do Norway this year, but life interfered.😟 Did you have an Infinite Balcony stateroom? I'm really leery about one for Norway. Had a sunset veranda last time, my favorite location.😊🛳🌊
STUNNING, STUNNING, STUNNING! We just came back from Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Sears’s cruise to Norway from Amsterdam. We came in 3 days precruise and stayed at Hotel Craftsman on Single Canal, then we did a 13-day Arctic Circle cruise to: Geiranger, Molde, Honningsvag, Tromso, Alesund, Flam, Olden, Bergen (8 ports). It was an amazing itinerary including NordKapp (Northern most part) and southern Norway with 4 sea days! Norway with its fjords, waterfalls, and glaciers just took my breath away! We stayed 1 day post cruise at Movenpick at the port terminal, and got caught up with the IT Outage and had to overnight in Reykjavik. Would I go back? In a heart beat!!!
We were on that same cruise! The scenery was breathtaking! I’m with you, I’d love to go back to Norway (especially Ålesund, Olden and Bergen) - but we’d also plan a longer stay in Amsterdam (we stayed 2-days pre-cruise) as we fell in love with the city!
We were on the same cruise as well! must have been a popular one. We left right after we docked. I was kind of bummed that we weren't staying longer to see more of Amsterdam but I guess I'm glad we didn't or else we would have been caught up in that IT mess.
@@trishwebb4024 it was absolutely the best cruise and holiday of our life. We loved the smaller ship and we're already scanning the internet for airfares to Oslo or Reykjavik next year. Next level amazing experience.
Just booked my 2026 7 days Norway cruise with HAL !! I can't wait to see the beautiful nature and the fjords! My first cruise was with HAL last year to Alaska and I was so impressed with their service and food!
WOW, Such Beautiful Country, ,, definitely adding this trip to my bucket list. Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to more footage from this cruise. ❤ 😊
I didn't want to fly to the embarque port (we live very close to Port Lauderdale) but you have enticed me to sail Norway! I haven't heard you sound so excited before! Glad you and your family had such a fantastic time.
I’ve cruised to Norway a few times both in high summer and in the depths of winter and have loved each one. A highlight cruise was the 12-day round sailing from Bergen to Kirkenes and back with Hurtigruten (in the days when it was still very much only a passenger and cargo line linking all the ports and taking a few “cruisers”). To go in winter in search of the Northern Lights is to see magical snow covered scenery - an experience not to be missed. Your comment “brown cheese….interesting” made me howl with laughter. I try this stuff each time I visit in the hope that it will grow on me. I don’t know why I persist. Go back when you can and go further north.
We sailed the Rotterdam last December. She's an absolutely beautiful ship. I loved the coffee in the observation deck. Your video was very enjoyable. It brought back a lot of good memories, Thanks.
We did a cruise to Norway as well as the Baltic States on the Eurodam 11 years ago. Norway was just beautiful and we visited Bergen, Flam and Stavanger. Your video makes me want to go again!
Just did the same cruise on Sky Princess It was outstanding. Unbelievable scenery we have done many cruises (last one in March to Singapore). and this Norwegian cruise was the best way better than Alaska Cannot recommended enough. Enjoy
Norway is situated just as far north as Alaska, but is far warmer and more lush, with real towns rather than small villages, with working public transport etc. That's because of the warm Gulf Stream from the Caribbean area.
My husband and I prefer Holland America, we have been on 10 cruises with them. We like the smaller ships minus the huge crowds. I would love to cruise Norway, did you see the Northern Lights? Maybe it depends on the time of year. Your video was very informative and very enjoyable. Thank you for all the work you put into your videos, I am sure your subscribers enjoy them as much as I do. Looking forward to the next one.
Norway is absolutely my favourite cruise destination; 4 of the 5 cruises I've done have all been to Norway (easier to access living in Europe, of course!). If you like scenic cruising and chill vibes, and are able to acclimate to variable weather, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's also absolutely worth splurging for a balcony if it's within your means.
After enduring a brutally hot and humid summer in the US (which is not even over yet) this cruise looks so appealing! I'm putting it on my cruise bucket list! It's been a while since we cruised on a HAL ship and this looks like a great ship to cruise on with the retractable roof and moderate size. I've learned from experience that the mega cruise ships teeming with people are definitely not for me. Great video, thank you!
We took our 5 year old and 15 month old on a celebrity cruise to the fjords in June. One thing to talk about is sea state. As you get farther north the seas can increase. I met a few folks who were on their first cruise and we had 10foot seas. A lot of sea sick folks. We went to Molde, Olden, Alesund, and Stavanger. Olden was a pier at the head of a fjord with lots of outdoor activities. Great cruise. Would recommend it and would go again.
I enjoyed this video so much. We are going on the Rotterdam August 17. We are going to start packing today! Yay! Thanks for making me really get excited!
I just returned from a 14-night Norwegian fjords/Iceland cruise on Sky Princess and believe we may have overlapped days in Norway. The fjords are truly hard to describe, in that they are so breathtaking and beautiful. Cruising in and out is as wonderful as the time spent in ports. And I have been to Alesund twice now and love it...much like Venice with the islands connected by small bridges and tunnels. I really recommend going before limits are placed on ships going into the fjords after 2025, especially to Geirangerfjord. This is a cruise that will definitely exceed your expectations!
It looks like you had great weather! We have a trip planned next June/July for Amsterdam and a seven night Rhine River cruise. Then we’re spending five days in Belgium before leaving Rotterdam on the Rotterdam for Norway. So I was glad to see you post this video, I feel like the Norway cruise will be like saving the best for last on our trip! The hard part will be packing!
Greetings from Norway. If you go in summer you can pack summer clothes, but make sure to have good walking shoes/sneakers and a rain coat as well. Evenings can be a bit chilly if you're outside/on deck, so maybe an extra sweater. Welcome to Norway!
Love HAL. The itineraries, food, service, and quality of the facilities is great. Have cruised with them 8 times so far. Upcoming 21 day Panama Canal in September and 14 day Alaska next September. I am a retired teacher and prefer to cruise when kids are in school. Norway looks beautiful as well.
Our first cruise after the Covid shut down was a 14 day Norwegian cruise with Princess. I'd rate Norway as a must see for any cruiser that wants to reach out beyond the Caribbean.
My first cruise was in Norway and I would certainly go back. I was on the Royal Caribean Jewel. It was at the end of September, so a bit more chilly, but we had spectacular northern lights. After the cruise, I went a week in Belgium.
I just returned from a two-week cruise in Norway that went into the Arctic Circle, with 8 ports overall. I would certainly visit Norway again - it was breathtaking.
Hi Ileana. Fellow Canadian here(land locked in southern Ontario). We did an NCL Iceland to Norway cruise last year and loved it. Norway, in our opinion, is nicer than Alaska. We are going on HAL next year to Greenland, Iceland and Norway. Can’t wait. Love your videos.
Norway is on our list. I am part Norwegian on my dad's side. It looks absolutely beautiful. Haven't tried Holland America yet but would like to at some point.
@@LifeWellCruised I know I would - so beautiful!! Loved your review! Where are you going next? I’m in Florida waiting on this hurricane - ugh, it’s going to be devestating sadly
Thanks for sharing this video about. Norwegian cruise. I’ve always wanted to visit Norway for the fjords and charming towns. I was on the Rotterdam in April for a TA cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Rotterdam but did not continue to Norway although a lot of people I talked to said they were doing so. I never considered it and it was too late to book it by the time I was on board. You gave a fantastic overview of the ship(brought back so many wonderful memories) and ports and excursions. Thank you
Thanks for this video! I’ve never cruised HAL, but l have a booking on the Rotterdam in May! I’malso going to Norway on Princess later in the year, and this preview increased my excitement!
Got this recommended by TH-cam. It's kinda fun getting a recommendation on TH-cam and actually seeing your house (I have moved, but it used to be my house) in the video 😂
@@rytterl wow, that’s pretty cool! I’m sure you don’t need me to say it, but you live in a wonderful & beautiful country. Thanks for taking time to comment & watch :)
Once again, you did not disappoint! We are going on the Rotterdam in September for two weeks and all of the ports you mentioned here are part of our second week's itinerary. Thanks for sharing!
We went on the HAL Rotterdam in May for a 21 day cruise. It started with a cruise to Norway, then on to the British Isles. We loved it! Our cabin was on deck 5 which we really enjoyed. Norway and the fjords were stunning and so glad we went there. We loved everything about this ship, the service, staff, food, and the library. The Origins was very interesting. Being on a 21 day cruise, we found that they did repeat the evening entertainment. We would definitely sail this cruise line again.
Hey Llana, I wish you guys had done the excursion to Trollstigen from Alesund. My husband and I did it last Sept and it was hands down the most amazing sight. You start at the top of The Troll Rd and then descend into The Valley of the Trolls. Absolutely breathtaking and completely fascinating.
Thank you for your videos. I find them so helpful. We are sailing on HAL for the first time this October and taking my 87 year old mother in law. I'm thinking HAL will be a good fit for her 😊 We're leaving out of Rotterdam and like you staying for a few days before sailing, so after watching your video, I'm looking forward to our travels even more. Thank you again
Great recap. Norway is so beautiful. We did 7night on Celebrity Silhouette and 1 day in Amsterdam before and after. The ports are so beautiful. We had looked at Holland America as well. We cruised in June
We too have just returned from a Norway cruise. We went from the UK on a 7 day cruise on the Sky Princess. Norway was just beautiful and I would thoroughly recommend it. As we have been before we decided to just explore each place ourselves. We are glad we did as we saw what each town had to offer. Wish we had seen you in Skjoloden ! We haven’t done Holland America yet but have an Alaska cruise booked for next May with them. So looking forward to it.
We cruised Norway in June of last year on the Rotterdam as the second part of a BB (we did the Baltics as the first part). We were blown away by the beautiful scenery, the fjords and the ports we visited! I agree, the Rotterdam is a great ship for this itinerary for all of the features you discovered and presented in your video (and not to forget the service and food). Great review!!
Went last year on 14 day last year and it was beautiful, sailed on the Neiu Statendam , people were fantastic in Norway and Denmark, they appreciated our efforts to try and say please; thank you, hello and goodbye in Danish and Norwegian. They were so helpful and kind. Always take a compact umbrella that will fit in my compact raincoat. You need this as it was sunny, then rainy in my experience. Just a beautiful trip.
I'm sure Norwegians especially appreciated your effort to say "please" as we don't have that word in our vocabulary :) Good tip about the umbrella, as the weather can change quite fast here.
We are waiting for HAL’s Jun/Jul 2026 itineraries to go here. Plan on train to Rotterdam too. Have been to Amsterdam many times and love it too. Have only done HAL for weekend cruise many years ago, so are anxious todo HAL for longer cruise. My Level 8 carry on arrived today, so will post video probably on Saturday. Love the llama walk. Thanks so much for sharing this. You’ve convinced us to go there.
Stunning! I leave for my Norwegian Fjords cruise in about 3 weeks. Ours is 10 days from Copenhagen to Edinburgh so our ports will be different, but I'm just even more excited after watching this video.
So exciting as this is one we are considering - we are going to Alaska from the UK next year on a Disney cruise. This year doing the Disney wish as a first trial, so excited to start cruising as we approach retirement :)
We were on the Westerdam last September to Alaska and loved it. The cruise director on your cruise was our cruise director too. We loved origins as well. He did a great job.
Just disembarked the Rotterdam! We embarked on her on July 6 so had 21 days going to Iceland, Scotland, and Norway. Loved it! We are booked on a Caribbean Rotterdam cruise for next February!
I did my first cruise this year to celebrate turning 50 this year, with Costa, to the Mediterranean. I just booked this cruise for 2026, so loved this video for some more information. 👍🏻
We just returned from a 13 day Icelandic cruise with Princess and it was incredible (jumped ship a few days early because it was closer to home), the buffet & MDR on the Caribbean Princess was way above anything that we expected and all staff were amazing, the room was meh, but it is an old ship, but that didn't detract from the wonderful time we had on board, we are total converts to cruising as this was our first one, now looking for the next in October! looking like Norway or Baltic if possible. Than you again for a wonderful video.
I will be boarding the Nieuw Statendam in 8 days. Its the 21 day ultimate Viking Explorer cruise. Norway, Scotland, Iceland and Green. This is my first cruise and have been binging you videos like forever.
Well done 👍- I like what see - lucky you had good weather. I am going to search for 12-14 day cruise . Long way to travel from the west coast for 7 days .
Thanks for the video. We are sailing on the Rotterdam for New Years. We were not going to go to Canaletto because it has been very disappointing in the past. Based on your comments, we may give it another try. Appreciate the input.
We did a back to back cruise on HAL in Norway two summers ago on this same ship. It was definitely my favourite cruise. Scenery is absolutely breathtaking
First, I would like to say this video and the Norway cruise look absolutely amazing! Also, could you please give me the dates you were there as the weather also looked nice. I do understand weather is not predictable, but it is nice to know a relatively good time of year to book. Thanks again for your videos and please keep them coming.
Some of your comments really helped me relive some of my own Norway cruise, done on an older HAL Rotterdam out of Rotterdam. To answer your questions about cruising Holland America, Norway was the fifth of my eight Holland America Line cruises. I have seen the Origins show and found it very interesting. Your itinerary and our itinerary didn't have a lot of overlap. I think the only port of call we had in common was Kristiansand. So, hearing about your experiences in other Norwegian ports I haven't visited gives me some ideas for next time. On a sidebar, I really have trouble associating llamas with Norway, llamas being native to South America, but walking them is fun.
Oh Ilana, what a beautiful place/trip…Not sure if i will make it there. The friend I am traveling on my 21 day TA next year just returned from cruising the Norwegian Fjords and she was thrilled. Brought back memories of my 3 sailings on HAL a while back…Glad to see they are still a very nice line still. Thanks for this review of your trip.🙂🚢
I love the Rotterdam - we were on her in the Caribbean in 2023. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Norway vs Alaska cruises; to what extent is the scenery, activities etc similar or different (sounds like the weather is similar!). Thank you for your videos, they're my favorite!
Aloha Ilana, thank you for all your videos, tips and honest reviews. My husband and I enjoy HollandAmericaLine and cruised with them twice so far. We enjoyed Alaska and want to do another 7 day cruise. Wanted to ask if you went on an Iceland cruise on HAL? If so, which cruise did you prefer Iceland cruise or Norway? Which HAL ship is your fav? Thank you for your time 😊
Hi Ilana, We were on the Rotterdam the week or so before you (our weather was good) for a Norwegian Fjords cruise. Some different ports, some the same. We agree, the scenery steals the show. Absolutely beautiful. We loved the ship, the service, the food and enjoyed some of the entertainment. We thought the Asian restaurant was terrific, as was Rudy’s, but thought the Italian restaurant was just so so. We also had room service for breakfast… very good. We loved the piano bar the best. We thought the main room entertainment was just okay. Good performers but a mediocre show. The cruise director, Nick, was terrific. He did some excellent presentations in the main stage. Overall, we liked Holland America and would cruise with them again.
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When will you be reviewing the new Margaretaville islander cruise ?
@@jere3651 hmmm I’ll have to look into it for the future. You’re the 3rd person asking. Have you been yet?
I was enticed to watch your Video - wanting to know how YOU experienced Norway and the various Ports of call. Unfortunately, the most part of the Video was about the Ship!! This may be interesting for anybody who has not been on a Ship (or this particular Ship?) before, but I wanted to really get your impressions of the Cruise and it's stops.
@@alfredwinklmayr9392 i understand, the ports are in the second part of the video. I have another video about Norway cruises that might be more helpful
Just returned from 8 day Norwegian Fjords cruise on Sky Princess. It was my first cruise ever and I can't wait to do it again. Norway was absolutely breathtaking!
@@myswell1234 great to hear your experience
The best one is the 16 day Princess cruise in June each year, from Southampton round trip. It goes right to the top of the country. In 2025 it is on the Emerald Princess on June 17. Good luck.
@@chriswilliams6568 we were on this cruise in June 16, 2023, well almost anyways, my mom broke her leg in the airport. I couldn't wait to see the evening sun up in the Artic. For sure want to book this one again! Was looking at it for 2025.
@@myswell1234 Hi from Vancouver, we were booked on the Caribbean Princess this past June 14, 2024, but had to cancel due to my hip pain, I need a replacement. We lost a lot of money as it was past final payment date, and insurance does not pay out on pre-existing conditions. This was the 4 th year we had to cancel, but other years we cancelled before final $$$ so got our deposit back. All due to Covid or family commitments. So have booked the Emerald Princess for 17 June 2025, but I hear that Norway may not allow the larger ships up their coast after next year. We will see. If you are on Shipmate app. We can chat later if we go on same sailing. Thx. Where are you residing?
I'm going in May of 2025 on that same ship. Glad you had an amazing time. I can't wait.
What a wonderful "love letter" about Rotterdam and the ports of Norway! I appreciate your positive attitude, the comprehensiveness of this video, the pace of delivery, and of course, the beauty of Norway!
@@mimikarenbryant7325 thanks so much for your kind words. I’m glad that you enjoyed the video and Norway 🇳🇴
You stepped up your game with this video. Overall great tour of the ship with some very nicely done video work and narration. Your food shots were some of the best I've seen on a travel video - good job. You captured the essence of Norway's beauty and certainly have encouraged people to consider a visit. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@garyjarvis2730 thanks so much! I really appreciate that :)
Did this cruise with different ports in May. Fantastic time. Norway is gorgeous and great people. Loved the ship, food and entertainment. If you like Alaska you’ll love Norway.
Great point. The two are compared a lot
I went to Norway 25 years ago on a genealogy trip. My mother is half Norwegian, so we researched her lineage and found the church in her ancestral home of Aurland. It had the gravestones of my ancestors in the churchyard! I want to go back with my adult children and show them their Viking roots! I agree, it is a quiet and serene place.
@@danacasey8543 very interesting!
I am also a quarter norwegian. My grandmother had lots of relatives there. I have visited norway. It would be cool to meet my distant relatives.
Aurland is beautiful. They have a viewpoint now called Stegastein, you should visit it!
So glad you enjoyed my Norway. You did give the best advise needed, plan for all kinds of weather, you can have all seasons in one day, and wear shoes that are good for walking. Thanks for all the videoes, makes the wait for my first cruise in a while a lot easier. Love from Norway 🇳🇴
@@perfectlyweirdkari413 that’s so exciting!!
A Norway cruise just made my bucket list!
Try the 16 day on Princess from Southampton each June, it goes right to the top of the country and back. Magnificent. Good luck
This is definitely a bucket list cruise and although I’ve never cruised on Holland America, I would really love to try it, especially to Norway. 😃
@@harborspringsgirl definitely worth doing 👏
Princess also do the 7 day, but I would prefer the 16 day on Princess, out of Southampton each June, it goes all the way up to the Arctic Circle to the top. Good luck
The Fjords are on my bucket list so this was really helpful, thanks.
My favorite stop I have been to in Norway is Molde. So many mountains SO beautiful.😊
Truly a fantastic, helpful and thorough review.... we're sold! Thank you
I think this is your best video. Your enjoyment and enthusiasm for this cruise just pops off the screen!
We spent 21 say’s on the Rotterdam in Norway 2 years ago and just loved it. Now on our way to Iceland on the Volendam. I hope it wows us like Norway.
I just returned from 12 day Celebrity Apex cruise to Norway. We cruised and visited 2 ports in the Artic Circle. I highly recommend it. Weather was cloudy to sunny, and we dodged rain luckily. We felt like we were living in a postcard.
That post card look just doesn’t get captured to its full potential on video, but I know what you mean 😊
@serenaverner1506 - Love the Apex! Did 'Best of Scandinavia' last year, and was hoping to do Norway this year, but life interfered.😟 Did you have an Infinite Balcony stateroom? I'm really leery about one for Norway. Had a sunset veranda last time, my favorite location.😊🛳🌊
STUNNING, STUNNING, STUNNING! We just came back from Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Sears’s cruise to Norway from Amsterdam. We came in 3 days precruise and stayed at Hotel Craftsman on Single Canal, then we did a 13-day Arctic Circle cruise to: Geiranger, Molde, Honningsvag, Tromso, Alesund, Flam, Olden, Bergen (8 ports). It was an amazing itinerary including NordKapp (Northern most part) and southern Norway with 4 sea days! Norway with its fjords, waterfalls, and glaciers just took my breath away! We stayed 1 day post cruise at Movenpick at the port terminal, and got caught up with the IT Outage and had to overnight in Reykjavik. Would I go back? In a heart beat!!!
We were on that same cruise! The scenery was breathtaking! I’m with you, I’d love to go back to Norway (especially Ålesund, Olden and Bergen) - but we’d also plan a longer stay in Amsterdam (we stayed 2-days pre-cruise) as we fell in love with the city!
We were on the same cruise! Hello ship mate :)
@@jennie-leegardiner2830Best cruise I’ve ever had the pleasure of sailing. Hope your experience was the same? What an awesome trip!
We were on the same cruise as well! must have been a popular one. We left right after we docked. I was kind of bummed that we weren't staying longer to see more of Amsterdam but I guess I'm glad we didn't or else we would have been caught up in that IT mess.
@@trishwebb4024 it was absolutely the best cruise and holiday of our life. We loved the smaller ship and we're already scanning the internet for airfares to Oslo or Reykjavik next year. Next level amazing experience.
Just booked my 2026 7 days Norway cruise with HAL !! I can't wait to see the beautiful nature and the fjords! My first cruise was with HAL last year to Alaska and I was so impressed with their service and food!
WOW, Such Beautiful Country, ,, definitely adding this trip to my bucket list.
Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to more footage from this cruise. ❤ 😊
I didn't want to fly to the embarque port (we live very close to Port Lauderdale) but you have enticed me to sail Norway!
I haven't heard you sound so excited before! Glad you and your family had such a fantastic time.
This cruise ship looks mind blowing and beautiful and peaceful and lots of quite spots too 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌊🌺🌊🌊🌺🌊🌺🌺🌊🌺🌺🌊🛳️🛳️🌞🌞🛳️🛳️🌞l🩵🩵🌞🌞🌞🛳️🌞🌞🩵🩵🌞🛳️🌞🩵🌞🛳️🌞🩵🩵🌞🌞🩵
You’re right, truly beautiful
@@LifeWellCruisedThanks I appreciate it 🥰🥰🥰
Thank you for a great review!! That looks like an awesome place to visit!
I just finished the same cruise and loved it. It was so exciting to have the first look out the window every morning and see the most amazing views.
We are on it right now! And did 6 days in Amsterdam before we love it it’s beautiful Norway
@@danielledesaulniers564 hope you’re having a wonderful time
I’ve cruised to Norway a few times both in high summer and in the depths of winter and have loved each one. A highlight cruise was the 12-day round sailing from Bergen to Kirkenes and back with Hurtigruten (in the days when it was still very much only a passenger and cargo line linking all the ports and taking a few “cruisers”). To go in winter in search of the Northern Lights is to see magical snow covered scenery - an experience not to be missed.
Your comment “brown cheese….interesting” made me howl with laughter. I try this stuff each time I visit in the hope that it will grow on me. I don’t know why I persist.
Go back when you can and go further north.
I am Norwegian and it never grew on me 😂🧀
We sailed the Rotterdam last December. She's an absolutely beautiful ship. I loved the coffee in the observation deck. Your video was very enjoyable. It brought back a lot of good memories, Thanks.
@@Chiefs555 very true, the explorations lounge is amazing
We did a cruise to Norway as well as the Baltic States on the Eurodam 11 years ago. Norway was just beautiful and we visited Bergen, Flam and Stavanger. Your video makes me want to go again!
We fly to Amsterdam in 21 days and board the Rotterdam in 24 days for Norway! Your video made me even more excited…if that is even possible😁
@@amandaanderson9761 have an amazing cruise!
Just did the same cruise on Sky Princess It was outstanding. Unbelievable scenery we have done many cruises (last one in March to Singapore). and this Norwegian cruise was the best way better than Alaska Cannot recommended enough. Enjoy
Norway is situated just as far north as Alaska, but is far warmer and more lush, with real towns rather than small villages, with working public transport etc. That's because of the warm Gulf Stream from the Caribbean area.
My husband and I prefer Holland America, we have been on 10 cruises with them. We like the smaller ships minus the huge crowds. I would love to cruise Norway, did you see the Northern Lights? Maybe it depends on the time of year. Your video was very informative and very enjoyable. Thank you for all the work you put into your videos, I am sure your subscribers enjoy them as much as I do. Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks for watching & for your kind words. Apparently we’re early for northern lights
Really enjoyed seeing the ship and all the places you visited. We've added it to our must-do list!
I went to Norway years ago but we went on a land tour and dd the the fjords by ferry. A Norway cruise is definitely on my bucket list 😍
I’m doing that cruise with my family next June. Can’t wait. It will be my first Holland America cruise!
@@renitacompton7595 awesome!!
Norway is absolutely my favourite cruise destination; 4 of the 5 cruises I've done have all been to Norway (easier to access living in Europe, of course!).
If you like scenic cruising and chill vibes, and are able to acclimate to variable weather, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's also absolutely worth splurging for a balcony if it's within your means.
Been to Norway many times. Bergan is my favorite!! Best chocolate shop and coffee shop I have ever been to......
After enduring a brutally hot and humid summer in the US (which is not even over yet) this cruise looks so appealing! I'm putting it on my cruise bucket list! It's been a while since we cruised on a HAL ship and this looks like a great ship to cruise on with the retractable roof and moderate size. I've learned from experience that the mega cruise ships teeming with people are definitely not for me. Great video, thank you!
We took our 5 year old and 15 month old on a celebrity cruise to the fjords in June. One thing to talk about is sea state. As you get farther north the seas can increase. I met a few folks who were on their first cruise and we had 10foot seas. A lot of sea sick folks. We went to Molde, Olden, Alesund, and Stavanger. Olden was a pier at the head of a fjord with lots of outdoor activities. Great cruise. Would recommend it and would go again.
I was wondering about sea sickness as I’m easily motion affected.
I enjoyed this video so much. We are going on the Rotterdam August 17. We are going to start packing today! Yay! Thanks for making me really get excited!
@@vickygentry3164 so exciting! Enjoy
I just returned from a 14-night Norwegian fjords/Iceland cruise on Sky Princess and believe we may have overlapped days in Norway. The fjords are truly hard to describe, in that they are so breathtaking and beautiful. Cruising in and out is as wonderful as the time spent in ports. And I have been to Alesund twice now and love it...much like Venice with the islands connected by small bridges and tunnels. I really recommend going before limits are placed on ships going into the fjords after 2025, especially to Geirangerfjord. This is a cruise that will definitely exceed your expectations!
@@lynnkongkham7655 thanks so much for sharing your experience. It sounds like you had a wonderful time
It looks like you had great weather! We have a trip planned next June/July for Amsterdam and a seven night Rhine River cruise. Then we’re spending five days in Belgium before leaving Rotterdam on the Rotterdam for Norway. So I was glad to see you post this video, I feel like the Norway cruise will be like saving the best for last on our trip! The hard part will be packing!
Greetings from Norway. If you go in summer you can pack summer clothes, but make sure to have good walking shoes/sneakers
and a rain coat as well. Evenings can be a bit chilly if you're outside/on deck, so maybe an extra sweater. Welcome to Norway!
All the buffet and restaurants sounds spectacular can’t wait to try it out one day 🌺🌊🌊🌊🌺🌊🌊🌺🩵🌺🩵🌊🌺🩵🩵🌺🌺🌺🌊🌺🌺🩵🩵🌞🩵🩵🩵🛳️🌞🌞🩵🩵🌞🌞🌞🩵🩵🌞🩵🩵🌞🛳️🛳️🌞🩵🛳️🛳️🌞🌞🌞🛳️🌞🩵🌞🛳️🛳️🌞
Love HAL. The itineraries, food, service, and quality of the facilities is great. Have cruised with them 8 times so far. Upcoming 21 day Panama Canal in September and 14 day Alaska next September. I am a retired teacher and prefer to cruise when kids are in school. Norway looks beautiful as well.
That was so lovely to see .Thank you x
On was on your ship, Mozart deck. What fantastic weather! Wish I had run into you. Love your videos!
@@lhoffelder253 too bad we missed each other! Hope you had a wonderful cruise!
What a great and thorough review of your trip. Thank you!
@@karenb2782 thanks for watching 😊
Our first cruise after the Covid shut down was a 14 day Norwegian cruise with Princess. I'd rate Norway as a must see for any cruiser that wants to reach out beyond the Caribbean.
Wow! Amazing , I know you guys had a good time. Need to add this cruise to my bucket travel list . Thanks for sharing. 🛳🥰
@@Mary_305 absolutely a good one to put on your list
OMG! Gorgeous cabin and the bathroom is updated wow that is awesome 🩵🌞🌞🌞🩵🩵🩵🩵🌞🌞🩵🩵🩵🌞🌞🌞🌞🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🌺🌺🌊🌊🌊🌺🌊🌊🌺🌺🌊🌊🌺🌺🌊🌊🌊🌊🌺🌊🌊🌺🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
I took the 14 day Norway cruise on Rotterdam last year. Fantastic cruise.
My first cruise was in Norway and I would certainly go back. I was on the Royal Caribean Jewel. It was at the end of September, so a bit more chilly, but we had spectacular northern lights. After the cruise, I went a week in Belgium.
That sounds amazing!
I just returned from a two-week cruise in Norway that went into the Arctic Circle, with 8 ports overall. I would certainly visit Norway again - it was breathtaking.
Wow, sounds awesome
Hi Ileana. Fellow Canadian here(land locked in southern Ontario). We did an NCL Iceland to Norway cruise last year and loved it. Norway, in our opinion, is nicer than Alaska. We are going on HAL next year to Greenland, Iceland and Norway. Can’t wait. Love your videos.
Norway is on our list. I am part Norwegian on my dad's side. It looks absolutely beautiful. Haven't tried Holland America yet but would like to at some point.
I love your recap of the ports. This was helpful!
We're currently on the HAL Rotterdam and we're absolutely loving it. Our stops include Eidfjord, Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Skjolden.
Lucky you!! Enjoy every minute
You should do the RIB boat ride in Stavanger. It's a wonderful ride with loads of beautiful scenery.
Thanks Ilana for another fantastic cruise and ship review! I want to go there!!
Omg it was so incredible! I think you’d love it :)
@@LifeWellCruised I know I would - so beautiful!! Loved your review! Where are you going next? I’m in Florida waiting on this hurricane - ugh, it’s going to be devestating sadly
Thanks for sharing this video about. Norwegian cruise. I’ve always wanted to visit Norway for the fjords and charming towns. I was on the Rotterdam in April for a TA cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Rotterdam but did not continue to Norway although a lot of people I talked to said they were doing so. I never considered it and it was too late to book it by the time I was on board. You gave a fantastic overview of the ship(brought back so many wonderful memories) and ports and excursions. Thank you
Thanks for this video! I’ve never cruised HAL, but l have a booking on the Rotterdam in May! I’malso going to Norway on Princess later in the year, and this preview increased my excitement!
Going on our first Alaskan cruise with Holland America Eurodam and I CANNOT wait after watching all your videos !!!! I hope it similar to this ship !
Got this recommended by TH-cam.
It's kinda fun getting a recommendation on TH-cam and actually seeing your house (I have moved, but it used to be my house) in the video 😂
@@rytterl wow, that’s pretty cool! I’m sure you don’t need me to say it, but you live in a wonderful & beautiful country. Thanks for taking time to comment & watch :)
Once again, you did not disappoint! We are going on the Rotterdam in September for two weeks and all of the ports you mentioned here are part of our second week's itinerary. Thanks for sharing!
@@maryg4551 enjoy!
We went on the HAL Rotterdam in May for a 21 day cruise. It started with a cruise to Norway, then on to the British Isles. We loved it! Our cabin was on deck 5 which we really enjoyed. Norway and the fjords were stunning and so glad we went there. We loved everything about this ship, the service, staff, food, and the library. The Origins was very interesting. Being on a 21 day cruise, we found that they did repeat the evening entertainment. We would definitely sail this cruise line again.
Hey Llana, I wish you guys had done the excursion to Trollstigen from Alesund. My husband and I did it last Sept and it was hands down the most amazing sight. You start at the top of The Troll Rd and then descend into The Valley of the Trolls. Absolutely breathtaking and completely fascinating.
Thank you for your videos. I find them so helpful. We are sailing on HAL for the first time this October and taking my 87 year old mother in law. I'm thinking HAL will be a good fit for her 😊 We're leaving out of Rotterdam and like you staying for a few days before sailing, so after watching your video, I'm looking forward to our travels even more. Thank you again
Great recap. Norway is so beautiful. We did 7night on Celebrity Silhouette and 1 day in Amsterdam before and after. The ports are so beautiful. We had looked at Holland America as well. We cruised in June
Wow! I can't wait to do a Norway cruise! Thanks for all the info, pictures/ videos & tips.😊
@@loriannmckeever3752 thanks for watching. I don’t think you’ll regret it 😊
We too have just returned from a Norway cruise. We went from the UK on a 7 day cruise on the Sky Princess. Norway was just beautiful and I would thoroughly recommend it. As we have been before we decided to just explore each place ourselves. We are glad we did as we saw what each town had to offer. Wish we had seen you in Skjoloden !
We haven’t done Holland America yet but have an Alaska cruise booked for next May with them. So looking forward to it.
We cruised Norway in June of last year on the Rotterdam as the second part of a BB (we did the Baltics as the first part). We were blown away by the beautiful scenery, the fjords and the ports we visited! I agree, the Rotterdam is a great ship for this itinerary for all of the features you discovered and presented in your video (and not to forget the service and food). Great review!!
Great review, We sail on the Rotterdam to Norway next year. Really looking forward to it!
I would love to go there!!! You are blessed!
We haven't sailed on HAL yet but plan to in the future. Thank you for the very informative vlog. Love your channel!
Went last year on 14 day last year and it was beautiful, sailed on the Neiu Statendam , people were fantastic in Norway and Denmark, they appreciated our efforts to try and say please; thank you, hello and goodbye in Danish and Norwegian. They were so helpful and kind. Always take a compact umbrella that will fit in my compact raincoat. You need this as it was sunny, then rainy in my experience. Just a beautiful trip.
@@mikeedwards9306 good advice about the umbrella
I'm sure Norwegians especially appreciated your effort to say "please" as we don't have that word in our vocabulary :) Good tip about the umbrella, as the weather can change quite fast here.
We just completed a New England/ Canada cruise on HAL and really enjoyed it. You’ve convinced me on Norway!
We just returned from a Norway fjords trip. It was fantastic.
We are waiting for HAL’s Jun/Jul 2026 itineraries to go here. Plan on train to Rotterdam too. Have been to Amsterdam many times and love it too. Have only done HAL for weekend cruise many years ago, so are anxious todo HAL for longer cruise. My Level 8 carry on arrived today, so will post video probably on Saturday. Love the llama walk. Thanks so much for sharing this. You’ve convinced us to go there.
Can’t wait to do this one!
Stunning! I leave for my Norwegian Fjords cruise in about 3 weeks. Ours is 10 days from Copenhagen to Edinburgh so our ports will be different, but I'm just even more excited after watching this video.
So exciting as this is one we are considering - we are going to Alaska from the UK next year on a Disney cruise. This year doing the Disney wish as a first trial, so excited to start cruising as we approach retirement :)
You left out the bread pudding. HAL touts this as a specialty. It is fabulous.
@@annettehasten7755 well now you gave me something new try on my next Holland America cruise 😂
We were on the Westerdam last September to Alaska and loved it. The cruise director on your cruise was our cruise director too. We loved origins as well. He did a great job.
Just disembarked the Rotterdam! We embarked on her on July 6 so had 21 days going to Iceland, Scotland, and Norway. Loved it! We are booked on a Caribbean Rotterdam cruise for next February!
I did my first cruise this year to celebrate turning 50 this year, with Costa, to the Mediterranean. I just booked this cruise for 2026, so loved this video for some more information. 👍🏻
We did this exact same itinerary on the Rotterdam last year. Loved the Rotterdam so much that we booked a TA this fall.
We just returned from a 13 day Icelandic cruise with Princess and it was incredible (jumped ship a few days early because it was closer to home), the buffet & MDR on the Caribbean Princess was way above anything that we expected and all staff were amazing, the room was meh, but it is an old ship, but that didn't detract from the wonderful time we had on board, we are total converts to cruising as this was our first one, now looking for the next in October! looking like Norway or Baltic if possible. Than you again for a wonderful video.
I can’t wait for my Norwegian cruise this September. This video only amps my enthusiasm.
So exciting!!
Now, you need to try the itinerary that takes you up to the Lofoten Islands and North Cape. Another gorgeous cruise.
Been to Origin presentation and will go again in three weeks! It is amazing.
I will be boarding the Nieuw Statendam in 8 days. Its the 21 day ultimate Viking Explorer cruise. Norway, Scotland, Iceland and Green. This is my first cruise and have been binging you videos like forever.
@@vanjan8177 have an amazing cruise!
❤ this review...I love seeing the ship. Going to look in to Holland America for a cruise next year😊
Well done 👍- I like what see - lucky you had good weather. I am going to search for 12-14 day cruise . Long way to travel from the west coast for 7 days .
Thanks for the video. We are sailing on the Rotterdam for New Years. We were not going to go to Canaletto because it has been very disappointing in the past. Based on your comments, we may give it another try. Appreciate the input.
Hi Ilana, your vidéo is beautiful. A great thanks from Belgium 😉
@@christianefrere9204 thanks so much!
We did a back to back cruise on HAL in Norway two summers ago on this same ship. It was definitely my favourite cruise. Scenery is absolutely breathtaking
The same or two different ones?
First, I would like to say this video and the Norway cruise look absolutely amazing! Also, could you please give me the dates you were there as the weather also looked nice. I do understand weather is not predictable, but it is nice to know a relatively good time of year to book. Thanks again for your videos and please keep them coming.
I have sailed on Rotterdam twice. I love this ship. We are trying the Neiuw Statendam next year.
Some of your comments really helped me relive some of my own Norway cruise, done on an older HAL Rotterdam out of Rotterdam. To answer your questions about cruising Holland America, Norway was the fifth of my eight Holland America Line cruises. I have seen the Origins show and found it very interesting. Your itinerary and our itinerary didn't have a lot of overlap. I think the only port of call we had in common was Kristiansand. So, hearing about your experiences in other Norwegian ports I haven't visited gives me some ideas for next time. On a sidebar, I really have trouble associating llamas with Norway, llamas being native to South America, but walking them is fun.
Oh Ilana, what a beautiful place/trip…Not sure if i will make it there. The friend I am traveling on my 21 day TA next year just returned from cruising the Norwegian Fjords and she was thrilled. Brought back memories of my 3 sailings on HAL a while back…Glad to see they are still a very nice line still. Thanks for this review of your trip.🙂🚢
I love the Rotterdam - we were on her in the Caribbean in 2023. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Norway vs Alaska cruises; to what extent is the scenery, activities etc similar or different (sounds like the weather is similar!). Thank you for your videos, they're my favorite!
Aloha Ilana, thank you for all your videos, tips and honest reviews. My husband and I enjoy HollandAmericaLine and cruised with them twice so far. We enjoyed Alaska and want to do another 7 day cruise. Wanted to ask if you went on an Iceland cruise on HAL? If so, which cruise did you prefer Iceland cruise or Norway? Which HAL ship is your fav? Thank you for your time 😊
great video as always, thank you for all the insight! Is the Dutch afternoon tea an extra charge or included in the fare?
Hi Ilana,
We were on the Rotterdam the week or so before you (our weather was good) for a Norwegian Fjords cruise. Some different ports, some the same. We agree, the scenery steals the show. Absolutely beautiful.
We loved the ship, the service, the food and enjoyed some of the entertainment. We thought the Asian restaurant was terrific, as was Rudy’s, but thought the Italian restaurant was just so so. We also had room service for breakfast… very good.
We loved the piano bar the best. We thought the main room entertainment was just okay. Good performers but a mediocre show.
The cruise director, Nick, was terrific. He did some excellent presentations in the main stage.
Overall, we liked Holland America and would cruise with them again.